A Hero of the Ages

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A Hero of the Ages

Heroes come from all sorts of places: movies, books, and even everyday life. Jen, a Gelfling, is a hero from the movie The Dark Crystal. Jen's story is one of prophecy, the never ending fight between good and evil, and love. This composition shall trace Jen's quest as well as evaluate his success in that quest, his individual self, and finally he shall be compared to one of the Greek heroes.

Jen's quest can be classified as restoring the good kingdom. During a time of great change in the universe, there was a single dark crystal which held the source of balance and truth. At this time, many years before Jen's birth, the world was peaceful. However, the crystal was shattered and the world was divided into two groups: the evil Skeksis and the good and just Mystics. Over time, these two groups grew far apart and the Skeksis used the dark crystal for their wicked purposes. Jen was the last of his race, as the Skeksis had destroyed his family, for they knew of the prophecy that said one day a Gelfling would be their ruin. At the time of Jen's quest, the three suns would soon be converging. If, by the time they had fully aligned, the crystal was not whole again, evil would reign forever. Jen was the one who must stop this from happening and restore the universe to the land of balance and truth that it once had been.

Having been raised by the peaceful Mystics, Jen was well educated and knew much of the world he lived in. He was also aware of many forms of magic that could aid him. His master taught him how to be careful and smart at the same time, and this was a great aid for Jen in his quest. Jen was also helped by a female Gelfling whom he met by chance. This female Gelfling, Kara, h...

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...y as slaves to the Skeksis. Though Theseus and Jen are aided in their quests, each of them completes their quest on their own. Theseus kills the minotaur without help from anyone or a heavenly deity guiding him, and Jen repairs the crystal without a force guiding his hand. A final similarity between Theseus and Jen is that both heroes deserve their rewards. Theseus becomes king of Athens and Jen is able to share his life with Kara.

Heroes come in all shapes, sizes, and strengths. Some heroes prove their worth through intelligence, while others use their brawn. Jen is a very special hero in that he uses his intelligence and follows his heart to complete his quest. Though he may be small, he is capable of almost anything. A true hero follows their heart and puts everything they can into their duty, such as Jen did in his quest to repair the dark crystal.

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